So...I think this belongs in the National Tournaments thread because it used the NAQT HSNCT packets.
moved to collegiate/open zone since it was an open event. --mgmt
Anyway, I'm just interested to hear feedback from anyone involved with the Minnesota MASQUE tournament.
I really enjoyed getting to hear the HSNCT packets and playing against some collegiate competition. It was especially fun to get an opportunity to read/moderate/scorekeep for a round.
Chaska fared pretty well. We wound up getting dominated in one of our round robin matches to a team of two old gents who had very deep lit knowledge. We made the playoffs with a 8-1 record (8 team playoff, single elimination), won our first playoff match a last-question thriller against Carleton College (Mount Rushmore tossup), and then lost in the semis to a good team of guys past college age. Tied for third place in a mostly collegiate and post-collegiate field? I'll take that.
I'd like to know who the two teams on the opposite side of the bracket were. War-like team was probably one of them...wouldn't be surprised if they or the team that beat us in the semis went on to win. Both had very good players.
I definately noticed that the biggest advantage that the college teams had was in lit. Both of the teams that beat us had had beyond high school lit knowledge. Basically, a lit question would start, one character's name would be read, and these teams would be on it. Benefit of a college education I guess :D
It was nice for the two notable Minnesota teams that didn't go to NAQT (us and Eden Prairie) to get to face off one last time. It was also a nice touch for Brendan to moderate.
Favorite powers: No Exit (from Estelle)
Worst neg: ROB, YOU WERE WEARING A FRACKIN FALL OUT BOY SHIRT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111111111
MASQUE III -- University of Minnesota
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Auks Ran Ova
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I stayed around for the whole tournament so if anyone cares here are some results. The team that won consisted of (I think) Myron Meyer who won 50,000 dollars on one day of jeopardy, Eric Smith who is an excellent player at Stanford, and one other person who was good but I don't know his name. They defeated a team in the finals that consisted of (I think) Ezra Lyon and Avram Lyon 320-295. It was an exciting match. Ezra and Avram defeated a team that consisted of 5 time jeopardy champion and former one day single record holder Brian Weikle who was playing with Matt Marta in overtime in the semifinals. Also at this tournament were Jeopardy Tournament of Champions winner Michael Falk as well as Michael Pristash who was on Millionaire.
This tournament also made me realize how much the top college players would clean up if they played in the HSNCT.
This tournament also made me realize how much the top college players would clean up if they played in the HSNCT.
Brendan Byrne
Drake University, 2006-2008
University of Minnesota, 2008-2010
Drake University, 2006-2008
University of Minnesota, 2008-2010
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Wow, if anybody starts up one of those high school threads about Minnesota Comparisons ’06-’07 and I don’t happen to post, chalk up my vote for Stanford College Bowl as the odds-on favorite to dominate the circuit. Let’s just hope an ill-timed baby delivering doesn’t derail them from an appearance at NAQT HSNCT and force them to cast their lots in Beall Bowl.
To derail this thread even further, what is an experienced player from the West Coast circuit doing flying to a tournament largely consisting of high schoolers when he and his team can’t be bothered to play local circuit events? Kudos to the five Stanford people who played in Cardinal Classic last weekend (UCLA Ray beat me in the finals, for people who care about such things), but I really must say that it frustrates me to see the top players of the Northern California circuit continue to avoid tournaments in Southern California when we duly patronize their tournaments. This applies to Berkeley, too. In fact, since November, more teams have been fielded from out-of-the-area due to the womanly charms of one Caltech Irene (one) than Berkeley and Stanford combined have fielded (zero; counting regular season tournaments). Three Southern California packet submission tournaments were the worse for a lack of Berkeley/Stanford participation. It might be the case that Eric Smith has played in more Minnesota high school events than Southern California collegiate events.
Stanford, to my knowledge, wrote a grand total of one packet during the course of the entire year. Berkeley wrote one or two more, but didn’t have a car. I really hope that improves for the better next year. Some of the youth in the West Coast circuit is encouraging. Kevin from Stanford and Noah from Caltech (and this Chris guy from ASU) have the potential to revitalize the West Coast circuit, but they need to start contributing packets and getting to more tournaments (regardless of the legitimacy of reasons for not going). It’s amazing that a circuit that could probably field two top-5 teams at next year’s ICT is so downright moribund, but I’m not trying to be alarmist; I genuinely think things can get better. The new players (especially those mentioned above), though, need to take a more active part as circuit veterans, such as myself and soon Dwight and others, leave the circuit. And please be bothered to attend Southern California tournaments next year, Northern California teams. Aztlan Cup sucks without Berkeley and Stanford and Technophobia does too, just as WIT would suck if it were just a Northern California-only event.
Some other unsolicited advice to teams on the West Coast circuit. To Stanford: Run Cardinal Classic next year, and run it packet submission. It would be a great experience for your young players (Kevin, Frank, et al.) helping to write a tournament, and it’s about time Cardinal Classic was largely West Coast-produced. Caltech, USC, UCLA, and Berkeley all ran tournaments this year at which the majority of questions were produced by teams participating at the tournament. To my knowledge, the last successful editor of Cardinal Classic was Joon Pahk in 2003. Eric Smith has been around for a long time, and it’s about time he edit a successful tournament. Stanford has far better resources for running a tournament (except the room situation, which is sad, but run it at Berkeley) than most other West Coast teams yet for whatever reason, they never pull it off. That really needs to change, guys. You’re not pulling your weight.
I really wish the West Coast circuit luck next year and I am in some ways sad that I will not be a part of it. I really hope that at least one of the younger players can develop into players that the West Coast circuit needs; gritty players that show up to everything either because they genuinely like this stuff, or because they realize that a fantastic way to keep the circuit flourishing is by showing up to tournaments. In my earlier years, these were people like Seth Teitler, Ray Luo, and Jordan Boyd-Graber, who have (except Ray, now less active in his grad student days) unfortunately moved on, and I hope that my legacy at UCLA is that Dwight and company will continue to actively patronize tournaments as much as we did this most recent school year.
Good luck to all of the teams on the West Coast next year and keep on showing up to stuff.
Charles Meigs
Formerly of UCLA College Bowl
To derail this thread even further, what is an experienced player from the West Coast circuit doing flying to a tournament largely consisting of high schoolers when he and his team can’t be bothered to play local circuit events? Kudos to the five Stanford people who played in Cardinal Classic last weekend (UCLA Ray beat me in the finals, for people who care about such things), but I really must say that it frustrates me to see the top players of the Northern California circuit continue to avoid tournaments in Southern California when we duly patronize their tournaments. This applies to Berkeley, too. In fact, since November, more teams have been fielded from out-of-the-area due to the womanly charms of one Caltech Irene (one) than Berkeley and Stanford combined have fielded (zero; counting regular season tournaments). Three Southern California packet submission tournaments were the worse for a lack of Berkeley/Stanford participation. It might be the case that Eric Smith has played in more Minnesota high school events than Southern California collegiate events.
Stanford, to my knowledge, wrote a grand total of one packet during the course of the entire year. Berkeley wrote one or two more, but didn’t have a car. I really hope that improves for the better next year. Some of the youth in the West Coast circuit is encouraging. Kevin from Stanford and Noah from Caltech (and this Chris guy from ASU) have the potential to revitalize the West Coast circuit, but they need to start contributing packets and getting to more tournaments (regardless of the legitimacy of reasons for not going). It’s amazing that a circuit that could probably field two top-5 teams at next year’s ICT is so downright moribund, but I’m not trying to be alarmist; I genuinely think things can get better. The new players (especially those mentioned above), though, need to take a more active part as circuit veterans, such as myself and soon Dwight and others, leave the circuit. And please be bothered to attend Southern California tournaments next year, Northern California teams. Aztlan Cup sucks without Berkeley and Stanford and Technophobia does too, just as WIT would suck if it were just a Northern California-only event.
Some other unsolicited advice to teams on the West Coast circuit. To Stanford: Run Cardinal Classic next year, and run it packet submission. It would be a great experience for your young players (Kevin, Frank, et al.) helping to write a tournament, and it’s about time Cardinal Classic was largely West Coast-produced. Caltech, USC, UCLA, and Berkeley all ran tournaments this year at which the majority of questions were produced by teams participating at the tournament. To my knowledge, the last successful editor of Cardinal Classic was Joon Pahk in 2003. Eric Smith has been around for a long time, and it’s about time he edit a successful tournament. Stanford has far better resources for running a tournament (except the room situation, which is sad, but run it at Berkeley) than most other West Coast teams yet for whatever reason, they never pull it off. That really needs to change, guys. You’re not pulling your weight.
I really wish the West Coast circuit luck next year and I am in some ways sad that I will not be a part of it. I really hope that at least one of the younger players can develop into players that the West Coast circuit needs; gritty players that show up to everything either because they genuinely like this stuff, or because they realize that a fantastic way to keep the circuit flourishing is by showing up to tournaments. In my earlier years, these were people like Seth Teitler, Ray Luo, and Jordan Boyd-Graber, who have (except Ray, now less active in his grad student days) unfortunately moved on, and I hope that my legacy at UCLA is that Dwight and company will continue to actively patronize tournaments as much as we did this most recent school year.
Good luck to all of the teams on the West Coast next year and keep on showing up to stuff.
Charles Meigs
Formerly of UCLA College Bowl